“We have been encouraging President Xi to reach out to President Zelenskyy because we believe that PRC and President Xi himself should hear directly the Ukrainian perspective and not just the Russian perspective on this,” CNN quotes Sullivan.

Read also: Lukashenko to meet with Xi Jinping to help Russia and China circumvent sanctions, reports ISW

He said the United States encouraged this approach both publicly and privately.

Sullivan added that on March 13, U.S. officials spoke with their Ukrainian counterparts, and that Kyiv is yet to receive a confirmation from Beijing that the Chinese leader would be open to talking to Zelenskyy directly.

Read also: Zelenskyy would like to meet with Xi Jinping

On Feb. 24, Zelenskyy announced his intention to meet with Xi Jinping, to discuss issues related to the Russian invasion and bilateral trade relations.

Recent media reports suggested Xi Jinping plans to have his first conversation with Zelenskyy since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Read also: Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia in coming months, WSJ reports

The talks are expected to take place after Jinping's visit to Moscow next week.

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